Opening a Natural Gas Condensate line with a battery-operated drill inside a compressor building is ASKING for trouble. Basic HAZLOC work practices include using INTRINSICALLY SAFE tools that are APPROVED for the HAZLOC, which has been an OSHA requirement since 1981…
1910.307(c) Electrical installations. Equipment, wiring methods, and installations of equipment in hazardous (classified) locations shall be intrinsically safe, approved for the hazardous (classified) location, or safe for the hazardous (classified) location.
At 9:00 a.m. an employee was troubleshooting an electronics system that controlled a valve for a natural gas compressor system. The employee used a 20 Volt Max Lithium-Ion 3/8″ Impact Wrench to disassemble a check valve to determine if the valve was experiencing a mechanical failure. The worker had removed the second bolt when the condensate ignited. The employee was wearing FR clothing, eye protection, and gloves; however, he was hospitalized with several burns to his hands and face.